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Yogic Studies
In-depth explorations into the traditions of Yoga, Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy, and South Asian Religions. Featuring candid conversations and interviews with scholars and practitioners. Hosted by Seth Powell.
2021
CLEAN
1 seasons
- Production: Yogic Studies
Episodes
Season 1
4343
51. Sunila Kale and Christian Novetzke | The Yoga of Power
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sunila Kale and Dr. Christian Novetzke from the University of Washington about their recent publication, The Yoga of Power: Yoga as Political Thought and Practice in India (Columbia 2025). We discuss the genesis of their book beginning with court cases in both the U.S. and India involving yoga and politics, an understanding of the term yoga not only as philosophy or mind-body disciplines but as a political idea and practice, yoga's varied meanings in the anc...
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50. Anya Golovkova | rvidy, Tantra, and the Goddess
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Anya Golovkova about the world of rvidy and the Hindu tantric traditions. We learn about her background growing up in Russia and then discovering South Asian studies later in life in New York City, eventually going on to pursue a PhD on rvidy texts and traditions. We discuss the category of "tantra," the role of the Goddess within tantric traditions, the history of rvidy, the major texts of the tradition, the nature of the r Cakra, contemporary r...
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49. Daniela Bevilacqua | From Tapas to Modern Yoga
In this episode, we speak with return guest and teacher Dr. Daniela Bevilacqua to discuss the publication of her latest work, From Tapas to Modern Yoga: Sdhus Understanding of Embodied Practices (2024). We discuss the origins of the book as part of the research and output of the infamous SOAS Hatha Yoga Project (2015-2020), her methodology as an ethnographer working in India, the various sampradyas, the role of yoga and the question of who are the yogis amongst sdhus today, and many stori...
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48. Brian Dana Akers | The Yoga Manifesto and the World of Yoga Publishing
In this episode we speak with Briana Dana Akers, who is a publisher, editor, and translator, best known for his translation of the Hahapradpik. We discuss his background discovering yoga at a young age, learning Sanskrit in Michigan and in India, and how he first began publishing Sanskrit works on yoga when he founded YogaVidya at just 23 years old. Brian shares with us insights into the world of independent publishing, Sanskrit translation, working with scholars like Dr. James Mallinson,...
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47. Zo Slatoff | Yoga, Vednta, and Ashtanga Yoga
In this episode we speak with Zo Slatoff about her background as an Ashtanga Yoga practitioner and teacher turned academic and Sanskrit professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. We discuss how her experiences within the Ashtanga Yoga community led her to the study of Sanskrit, and the eventual writing of her textbook called Yogvatraam. She details how her love for the study of yoga, Sanskrit, and philosophy led to her pursuing a PhD on the Aparoknubhti, or "Direct Awaren...
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46. Kunsang | From Buddhist Nun to Tibetan Translator
In this episode we speak with Kunsang about her upcoming series of courses in Classical Tibetan. We learn about her fascinating journey growing up in Venezuela and Italy and first encountering Tibetan Buddhism in her youth, studying Buddhist philosophy in Italy, becoming ordained as a Buddhist nun, studying Tibetan language and joining a nunnery in Dharamsala, India. We discuss some of the details and curriculum of her life as a monastic studying and training in India, eventually becoming a t...
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45. Lucy May Constantini | Kalarippayarr: Martial Art of Kerala
In this episode we speak with Lucy May Constantini about her fascinating research and practical experience studying the south-Indian martial art tradition of kaarippaya. We discuss Lucy's background of training in Kerala, the history of kaari, the role of the gurukka ("lineage-holder"), the tradition's kta Tantra context in Kerala, medieval ankam battles, the gendered dynamics of male and female practitioners, training with weapons, parallels with yogsana and the renaissance of moder...
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YSP 45 Lucy May Constantini | Kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘: Martial Art of Kerala
In this episode we speak with Lucy May Constantini about her fascinating research and practical experience studying the south-Indian martial art tradition of kaḷarippayaṟṟ ˘. We discuss Lucy's background of training in Kerala, the history of kaḷari, the role of the gurukkaḷ ("lineage-holder"), the tradition's Śākta Tantra context in Kerala, medieval ankam battles, the gendered dynamics of male and female practitioners, training with weapons, parallels with yogāsana and the renaissance of modern postural yoga, and much more. We conclude by previewing Lucy's upcoming online course, YS 128 | Kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘: Embodying the Cosmic Wind. Speaker Bio Lucy May Constantini is a dance-artist turned scholar who first encountered the South Indian martial art kaḷarippayaṟṟ ˘ in 2002 during a residential dance workshop in South India. She went on to train extensively in kaḷarippayaṟṟ ˘ at CVN Kalari Sangham in Thiruvananthapuram. In 2012 she was initiated into and apprenticed in kaḷaricikilsa , kaḷarippayaṟṟ ˘’s therapeutic system. She was awarded with distinction a masters in South Asia Area Studies from SOAS, University of London in 2018, and recently submitted her PhD thesis in the School of Religious Studies at the Open University in the UK. This was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership and supported by the École française d'Extrême-Orient in Pondicherry. Lucy’s research was co-created with the lineage-holder of CVN Kalari Sangham and explores the relationship between practice and textual traditions in kaḷarippayaṟṟ ˘. Her interdisciplinary research encompasses ethnography, drawing on the relationship since 2002 with CVN Kalari in Thiruvananthapuram, and the study of manuscripts in Malayalam. Her research methodology draws on her background in dance and somatic practices, where her work investigates the confluence of her praxes of postmodern dance, martial arts and yoga. Links https://www.yogicstudies.com/ys-128 https://open.academia.edu/LucyMayConstantini "Firm Feet and Inner Wind: Introducing Posture in the South Indian Martial Art, Kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘" (2023, Journal of Yoga Studies)
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44. Kate Hartmann | Pilgrimage and Buddhism
In this episode we welcome back Kate Hartmann, former director of Buddhist Studies Online, to discuss all things pilgrimage and Buddhism. We discuss how Kate first got into pilgrimage studies as a grad student at Harvard, whether pilgrimage is a universal concept across cultures, and question what separates a pilgrim from a tourist? We then turn to the early history of the Buddhist pilgrimage tradition in India, going back to accounts of the words of the Buddha himself to nanda and his other...
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43. Christopher Jain Miller | Embodying Transnational Yoga
In this episode we speak with Christopher Miller about his recent monograph, Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2023) and his upcoming online course at Yogic Studies. We begin by discussing his academic background and how he first got into critical Yoga and later Jain Studies, his experiences as a practitioner of yoga in Santa Monica, California, and how he developed his dissertation project that would eventually become the book. We discu...
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43. Christopher Jain Miller | Embodying Translational Yoga
In this episode we speak with Christopher Miller about his recent monograph, Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2023) and his upcoming online course at Yogic Studies. We begin by discussing his academic background and how he first got into critical Yoga and later Jain Studies, his experiences as a practitioner of yoga in Santa Monica, California, and how he developed his dissertation project that would eventually become the book. We discuss the importance of shifting Modern Yoga Studies beyond the study of postural yoga, exploring his three book chapters which analyze the practices of eating (yogic diet), singing ( kīrtan ), and breathing (prāṇāyāma). We discuss the origins and history of the harmonium, how yoga intersects with food and pollution studies, and question what it means to practice prāṇāyāma in a heavily polluted Indian city. We conclude the conversation by previewing Miller's upcoming online course, YS 127 | Embodying Transnational Yoga. Speaker Bio Dr. Christopher Jain Miller is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. Miller completed his PhD in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis. He is a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich’s Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology where he co-developed and co-runs a remotely available Masters Degree Program focusing on Engaged Jain Studies. His current research focuses on Modern Yoga and Engaged Jainism. Christopher is the author of a number of articles and book chapters concerned with Jainism and the practice of modern yoga. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2023) as well as co-editor of the volumes Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY Forthcoming) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020). Links YS 127 | Embodying Transnational Yoga Arihanta Institute https://uzh.academia.edu/ChristopherMiller Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge, 2023) -- use code ESA32 before Dec 31, 2023 to receive a 20% discount.
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42. Samuel M. Grimes | Newar Buddhism, Nepal, and Yoga
In this episode we speak with Samuel Grimes about his research and experience with the tradition of Newar Buddhism in Nepal. We discuss the unique history of Buddhism in Nepal, the decline of Buddhism in India, and what it means to be the only living "Sanskritic Buddhist" tradition in South Asia. We then discuss the meaning and role of yoga within Buddhist traditions, previewing Grimes' upcoming online course, BS 112 | Yoga in Buddhism. Speaker Bio Dr. Samuel M. Grimes is the Shinjo Ito Postd...
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41. Keith Edward Cant | The History of Theosophy and Yoga
In this episode we welcome back Keith Cant for a wide ranging conversation on the history of the Theosophical Society and in particular its unique relationship with the modern history of yoga. We discuss the influence of figures like Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott, as well as lesser-known South Asian Theosophists and Theosophy-adjacent authors and scholars. We discuss the impact of Theosophical publications on the global dissemination of yoga in English-print books and journals, a l...
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YSP 41 Keith Edward Cantú | The History of Theosophy and Yoga
In this episode we welcome back Keith Cantú for a wide ranging conversation on the history of the Theosophical Society and in particular its unique relationship with the modern history of yoga. We discuss the influence of figures like Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott, as well as lesser-known South Asian Theosophists and Theosophy-adjacent authors and scholars. We discuss the impact of Theosophical publications on the global dissemination of yoga in English-print books and journals, a legacy still felt today in modern yoga circles. We conclude the conversation by previewing Keith's upcoming online course, YS 126 | Theosophy and Yoga. Speaker Bio Dr. Keith Edward Cantú is a historian of religions whose interdisciplinary research especially focuses on South Asian yoga, tantra, and the interface between Sanskrit and Indic vernacular languages like Bengali, Tamil, and Hindi, and on modern occult movements in Europe and North America such as Thelema and the Theosophical Society. He is currently both Research Affiliate at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School, where he will begin a full-time postdoctoral fellowship in Asian Religious Traditions next June as part of the Transcendence and Transformation Initiative, and Visiting Assistant Professor in Religious Studies at St. Lawrence University. He previously was a research fellow at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg in the “Center for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences: Esoteric Practices and Alternative Rationalities from a Global Perspective” and Assistant Professor (postdoc) at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland in the project “Cultures of Patronage: India 1674–1890,” and received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies (South Asian religions) in 2021 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Keith’s first monograph, Like a Tree Universally Spread: Sri Sabhapati Swami and Śivarājayoga , has been published this year by Oxford University Press (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism series), and he is actively engaged in reprinting and translating several previously unknown or largely forgotten Tamil and Hindi works of Sri Sabhapati Swami and of his gurus. In addition to work on the swami, he is the author of numerous chapters and articles as varied as an ethnography of Tantric songs and sādhana or “practice” in Bengali, Indological research on south Indian mantra and yoga practices at tumuli and temples and on the Sanskrit alchemical mythology of Srisailam, modern yoga and discourses of Orientalism and cultural authenticity, haṭhayoga as “black magic” in Theosophy, and Islamic esotericism in the songs of the Bāuls and Fakirs of Bengal. A scholar-musician, Keith regularly sings and performs the Bāul songs of the nineteenth-century Bengali humanist poet Lalon Fakir (Lālan Phakir, d. 1890) as well as Śyāmāsaṅgīt or “music for the dark Goddess,” which he learned directly from sadhus and sadhikas during immersive stays in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India over the past twelve years, and regularly co-teaches a course on Tantric meditation and its connection with this music at the Esalen Institute near Big Sur, California. English versions of many of Lalon’s songs as translated by the late Carol Salomon can be found in City of Mirrors: Songs of Lālan Sā̃i , published in 2017 with Oxford's South Asia Research series, which Keith co-edited together with Dr. Saymon Zakaria. Links YS 126 | Theosophy and Yoga https://ucsb.academia.edu/KeithCantu YSP Ep 28 | Esotericism, Bauls, and Sabhapati Swami
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40. Caley Smith | The World of Vedic Sanskrit
In this episode we speak with Caley Smith about the ancient and fascinating world of Vedic Sanskrit. We discuss some theories and debates about the origins of Sanskrit, its relationship with other Indo-European languages, the nature and scope of the Vedas, Vedic notions of authorship, comparisons between Classical Sanskrit and Vedic, the importance of orality, and much more. We conclude the conversation with a preview of Smith's upcoming online course, SKT 303 | Vedic Sanskrit....
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39. Lubomr Ondraka | Yogic and Tantric Bodies
In this episode we speak with Lubomr Ondraka about his research on conceptions of the body within yogic and tantric traditions. We first discuss his background in chemical engineering and studying Indology in the Czech Republic, and how his interest in alchemy led him to India and the study of the Nth yogis. We discuss the various scholarly categories of the 'yogic body', 'tantric body', and the so-called 'subtle body' and weigh in on their usefulness, as well as their components such as t...
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38. Carl Ernst | The History of Sufism and Yoga
In this episode we speak with Carl Ernst about his career of scholarship on Sufismwhich he describes as the tradition of ethics and spirituality associated with Islam. In particular we discuss the unique history of Sufism's engagement with Hindu forms of yoga in northern India, which has been the subject of numerous important publications by Ernst. We discuss the nature of Sufism, the fluid boundaries of religious identity, and the fascinating history of translation and adaptation of y...
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37. James Mallinson | Datttreya's Discourse on Yoga
In this episode we welcome back Jim Mallinson for another update on his pioneering research into the earliest Sanskrit texts of Haha Yoga. We discuss the Light on Hatha Yoga Project (20212024) which will produce a critical edition of the Hahapradpik. We then dive into the Datttreyayogastra, the "Datttreya's Discourse on Yoga," perhaps the first text to teach Hahayoga within an Aga framework. We discuss its authorship, dating, Vaiava milieu, yogic teachings, intended audience,...
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36. Philip Deslippe | Early American Yoga and the "Swami Circuit"
In this episode, we speak with return guest Philip Deslippe about his research on the history of Early American Yoga. Philip shares with us his archive of knowledge and stories from the "Swami Circuit"the network of forgotten South Asian yoga teachers who travelled and taught various forms of yoga throughout the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. We discuss the nature of yoga and yoga teachers during this time, the demographics and geography of yoga, issues of authenticity and...
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35. Arti Dhand | The Great Epic, Mahbhrata
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Arti Dhand about her research, teaching, and podcasting on India's great epic, the Mahbhrata. We discuss her background and training in Religious Studies, comparing the Mahbhrata with Game of Thrones, the nature of an "epic," the textual history of the Mahbhrata, its major themes and narrative, gender and the role of women, the nature and teachings of yoga, the Mahbhrata's powerful influence over Indian and South Asian culture. We conclude with a pre...
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34. Dagmar Wujastyk | Entangled Histories of Yoga, yurveda and Alchemy
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Dagmar Wujastyk about her journey to Indology and the study of Sanskrit and yurveda, and her early travels in India studying and observing yurvedic physicians and centers. We discuss the research and findings from her recent ERC project Ayuryog, some of the alchemical mysteries of mercury and gold, and conclude with a preview her upcoming course, YS 122 | Ayurveda, Yoga, and Alchemy. Speaker Bio Dagmar Wujastyk is an Associate Professor in the department...
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33. Stuart Sarbacker | Agayoga: Eight Limbs of Yoga
In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Stuart Ray Sarbacker for a wide-ranging discussing about his upcoming course, YS 121 | 8 Limbs of Yoga: History, Theory, and Practice of Agayoga. We discuss the nature of Patajali's "classical" model, some of its possible sources and influences, comparisons with Buddhist meditation and paths, Aga beyond Patajali including Puric and other medieval sources, as well as modern innovations, adaptations, and continuities with ancient modes of practic...
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32. Sravana Borkataky-Varma | Hijrs, Women, and Gender in kta Tantra
In this episode we welcome back to the Podcast, Sravana Borkataky-Varma. We catch up on her latest book projects, research, and teaching at Harvard Divinity School. We discuss the categories of so-called Classical Tantra vs. Neo Tantra, and some of the nuances of the scholar-practitioner. We discuss gender and transgender, particularly within the hijr communities, and the recently formed Kinnar Akhara. We then preview the upcoming course, YS 120 | Women and Gender in Hindu Tantradetailing i...
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31. Rajiv Ranjan | On Teaching and Learning Hindi
In this episode we sit down with Rajiv Ranjan to discuss all things Hindi. We learn about Rajiv's remarkable journey from growing up in rural north-east India to MSU university professor, scholar, and author. We discuss the relationship between Hindi and Urdu, as well as Sanskrit and Hindi. We hear about the making of his textbook, Basic Hindi I, and the reasons for making it free and open-access. Rajiv shares with us some of his favorites from the vast world of Hindi literature, and we get a...
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30. Raj Balkaran | The Significance of the Devmhtmya
In this episode we sit down with return guest Raj Balkaran to catch up and dive deep into the world of the Devmhtmya. Raj shares with us about the publication of his latest book, The Stories Behind the Poses (2022) and how it grew out of the teaching of his previous YS course. We discuss the academic field of Pura study, and how the Devmhtmya fits within this larger world of Sanskrit narrative and religious texts. We then discuss the "Greatness of the Goddess," kta traditions, the n...
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29. Varun Khanna | The Wisdom of the Upaniads
In this episode we sit down with Varun Khanna to discuss his upcoming course, YS 207 | The Upaniads. We first learn about his background as a pre-med student stumbling into Sanskrit when he tried to study Ayurveda in India, learning Sanskrit as a spoken language, and going on to earn his PhD at Cambridge University. We discuss the mysterious nature of the Upaniads, their relation to the earlier Vedic tradition and to later Indian philosophy, the schools of Vednta, the meaning of key terms...
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28. Keith Edward Cant | Esotericism, Bauls, and Sabhapati Swami
In this episode we sit down with Keith Cant for a wide ranging conversation on the language and categories of esotericism, the occult, and yoga. We learn about Keith's background, travels, and language training as well as unique experience learning from the Bauls of Bengal. Listeners/viewers are treated to a live rendition of a Baul song. Keith shares with us his fascinating dissertation research on Sri Sabhapati Swami, lesser-known Tamil yogi who had a substantial impact on nineteenth...
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27. James Mallinson | The Source Texts of Haha Yoga
In this episode we welcome back Jim Mallinson for an update on his pioneering research into the earliest Sanskrit texts of Haha Yoga. We review some of the major findings from the 5-year ERC Haha Yoga Project and learn about his latest project, the Light on Hatha Yoga Project (20212024) which will produce a critical edition of the Hahapradpik. We discuss the latest methods in digital Sanskrit philology and the challenges of working with large amounts of manuscript data. We then dive int...
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26. Adrin Muoz | The Study of Yoga in Latin America
In this episode we speak with Adrin Muoz about his academic path and research at El Colegio de Mxico where he is currently heading an exciting new project on the history of yoga in Latin America. Adrin tells Seth about his early years and training in grad school in Mexico, discovering the Nth yogis, travels and field work in India, as well as his love for poetry and the vernacular. We also discuss the Euro-American and Anglophone primacy of academia and the need for (as well as challenge...
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25. Edwin Bryant | Bhakti Yoga and the Bhgavatapura
In this episode we speak with Edwin Bryant about his upcoming course, YS 205 | Bhakti Yoga: The Bhgavatapura and his latest book Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhgavata Pura (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2017). Dr. Bryant regales Seth with stories of hitchhiking through India in his youth while studying Sanskrit and Hindi, and meeting his guru in the holy city of Vrindavan. He also talks about his translation of the Yoga Stras of Patajali, his dissertation exploring t...
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13. Raj Balkaran | Puras and Hindu Mythology
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Raj Balkaran about his early days of spiritual seeking in Toronto, discovering religious studies, the power of myth and narrative in Hindu traditions, his work on the Puras, the Dev Mhtmya and Srya Mhtmya of the Mrkeeya Pura, as well as a preview of his upcoming online course, YS 112 | Yoga and Hindu Mythology. Speaker Bio Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Hindu mythology and author of The Goddess and the King in Indian Myth (2018) and The Goddess...
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9. Jason Birch | Manuscript Hunting and the History of Medieval Yogas
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jason Birch (SOAS, University of London) about his early training in yoga and Indology, the early 2000s yoga scene in Rishikesh, Sanskrit manuscript hunting in India, his Oxford thesis on the Amanaska, Rja Yoga traditions, the history of sana, the significance of the Hahbhysapaddhati, Krishnamacharya and the legendary "Yoga Korua", embodied philology, and more. Speaker Bio Jason Birch is a post-doctoral researcher fellow at SOAS, University of Lond...
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10. Ian Baker | Tibetan Yoga, Hidden Lands, and Bringing Esoteric Teachings to Light
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ian Baker about his many journeys into Tibet and Tantric Buddhism, the power of hidden lands (beyul), isolated mountain retreats, Tibetan physical yogas (trulkhor), receiving guidance from H.H. the Dalai Lama, the nature of secrecy and esoteric teachings, and a preview of the upcoming online course, YS 110 | Tibetan Yoga. Speaker Bio Ian Baker is the author of several books on Himalayan and Tibetan religion and culture, including Tibetan Yoga: Principles...
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12. Ruth Westoby | Women and Gender in Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Ruth Westoby (PhD Candidate, SOAS) about her background in Ashtanga, her doctoral research on women and gender in the history of yoga, female practitioners of Haha yoga and asceticism, frameworks for understanding the yogic body, rajas and bindu, as well as a preview of her upcoming online course, YS 111 | Women and Yoga: A History of Female Practitioners. Speaker Bio Ruth Westoby is a doctoral candidate at SOAS, University of London, researching for a doctor...
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16. Daniel Simpson | The Truth of Yoga
In this episode we talk with Daniel Simpson about his upcoming book, The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices (2021, North Point Press). We discuss his writing process, his background as a foreign correspondent, making the historical texts and philosophies of yoga accessible to modern practitioners, perceptions on yoga in China, and the idea of authenticity in modern yoga practice. Speaker Bio Daniel Simpson teaches courses on yoga history...
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0. Seth Powell | Introducing the Yogic Studies Podcast
In this brief introduction, Seth introduces listeners to the Yogic Studies Podcast. He shares his story of how yoga led him to academia, to the PhD at Harvard University, the study of Sanskrit, the world of yoga research, and the birth of Yogic Studies. Bio Seth Powell is a longtime practitioner of yoga and a scholar of Indian religions, Sanskrit, and yoga traditions. He is currently a PhD Candidate in South Asian Religions at Harvard University. His research focuses on the history, theory...
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11. Philipp Maas | The Ptajalayogastra and its Textual History
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Philipp Maas about his pioneering textual research on the Yogastra of Patajali and its commentarial tradition, the authorship and dating of the Yogastra and its commentary the Bhya, the surviving Sanskrit manuscripts of the PY, the relationship between Skhya and Yoga, the nature of vara for Patajali, Maas' critical edition on the PY, and more. Speaker Bio Philipp Maas is a research associate at the Institute for Indology and Central Asi...
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15. Mark Singleton | Yoga Body, 10 Years Later
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Mark Singleton about his journey and career in yoga and academia, his dissertation turned book Yoga Body and its reception 10 years after publication, the "birth" of modern yoga in the 19th and 20th centuries, the contested history of yoga postures (sana), as well as his current work on the fascinating relationship between yoga and technology. We also discuss his upcoming online course, YS 113 | Yoga's Past, Present, and Future. Speaker Bio Mark Si...
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5. James Mallinson | The History and Practice of Haha Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Dr. James Mallinson (SOAS, University of London) about his travels through India, meeting his guru, his journey to becoming an Indologist, his pioneering research on the history of yoga and yogs, key findings from the Haha Yoga Project, and more. Speaker Bio Dr. James Mallinson is Reader in Indology and Yoga Studies at SOAS University of London. His research focuses on the history and current traditional practice of yoga through the methods philology, ethno...
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7. Karen OBrien-Kop | Ptajala Yoga, Yogcra Buddhism, and Re-Thinking the Category of "Classical Yoga"
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Karen OBrien-Kop (University of Roehampton) about her intertextual research on Ptajala and Buddhist Yoga, rethinking the category of Classical Yoga, the yoga of Yogcra Buddhism, Buddhist definitions of yoga, botanical metaphors for liberation, the mysterious Dharmamegha Samdhi ("the raincloud of Dharma), her forthcoming co-edited volume, The Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies (2020), her upcoming online course YS 109, more. Speaker...
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8. Sravana Borkataky-Varma | kta Tantra, Female Practitioners, and Misperceptions of Tantra
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sravana Borkataky-Varma about her experience growing up in India, receiving initiation into a kta tantra lineage at Kmkhya, discovering Religious Studies and the academic path, her doctoral research, the role of female practitioners, tantric sexual rites, being censored by Facebook, online pj services, and much more. Speaker Bio Sravana Borkataky-Varma is a historian, educator, and social entrepreneurwho holds a PhD in Religions from Rice Uni...
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1. Finnian Gerety | Vedic Ritual, O, and Early Yoga
In this first-ever Yogic Studies Podcast episode, we speak with Dr. Finnian Gerety (Brown University) about his background as a musician, his journey to Indology and Sanskrit studies at Harvard University, his fieldwork among Nambudiri Brahmins in the south-Indian state of Kerala, the Sma Veda performative tradition, his short film "Mantras 2 the Max", the origins of sacred sound and the syllable O, the practice of O at the time of death, O in the Yogastras of Patajali, and the practice...
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4. Philip Deslippe | Making Sense of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Philip Deslippe (UC Santa Barbara) about his research on the modern history and construction of Kundalini Yoga, the controversies surrounding the late guru Yogi Bhajan, as well as the role and positionality of the scholar and historian of yoga. Speaker Bio Philip Deslippe is a historian of American religion with a background in American Studies and literature. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Cal...
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2. Daniela Bevilacqua | Hindu Asceticism and Haha Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Daniela Bevilacqua (Post-Doc Research Fellow, SOAS) about her background in History and Anthropology, her doctoral work on the Rmnand Sampradya, her ethnographic fieldwork for the Haha Yoga Project, and the role of yoga among sdhus today in contemporary India. Speaker Bio Daniela Bevilacqua is a South-Asianist who received her PhD in Civilizations of Africa and Asia from Sapienza University of Rome and in Anthropology from the University of Paris Na...
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6. Ben Williams | aiva Tantra, Abhinavagupta, and the Tantric Sahdaya
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ben Williams (Naropa University) about his story of growing up in spiritual community, the scholar-practitioner, the scriptures and world of non-dual aiva Tantra, the Kashmiri exegete Abhinavagupta and his concept of the guru, the view of Agayoga within tantra, the new MA program in Yoga Studies at Naropa University, and more. Speaker Bio Ben Williams is an intellectual historian focused on Indian religions and the history of aiva tantra. He has rec...
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14. Amanda Lucia | White Utopias, Yoga, and Transformational Festivals
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Amanda Lucia about her new book, White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals (2020, UC Press). We discuss transformational festivals in California, the nature of religious exoticism, white possessivism, and cultural appropriation in North American yoga and bhakti communities. Speaker Bio Amanda Lucia is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California-Riverside. Her research engages the global exportation, a...
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3. Antonia Ruppel | On Teaching and Learning Sanskrit
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Antonia Ruppel (LMU, Munich) about her study and teaching of the Sanskrit language, from elite universities to the St. James Senior Boys' School, the richness and diversity of Sanskrit literature, her recent Sanskrit textbook, and her upcoming series of online Sanskrit courses. Speaker Bio Antonia Ruppel is a Classicist by training who came to Sanskrit through a series of fortunate accidents. She learnt the language as an autodidact, and one of her reason...
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20. Suzanne Newcombe + Karen O'Brien-Kop | Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies
In today's episode we talk with Dr. Suzanne Newcombe and Dr. Karen O'Brien-Kop about their recent collaboration co-editing The Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies (2021), and the labor of love that went into creating this interdisciplinary collaboration. We also discuss the history of yoga studies, the difference between academic "field" and "discipline," how academic work can overlap with the daily spiritual practice of the scholar, and what makes Modern Yoga Studies a unique f...
5522
23. Patton Burchett | Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in North India
In this episode we talk with Patton Burchett about his latest book A Genealogy of Devotion: Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in North India (2019, Columbia University Press) and his upcoming course, YS 115 | A History of Yoga and Devotion. Patton tells Seth about the teachers who inspired his studies, and how academics confuse the social and interactive nature of Indian devotional practices with a more solitary Judeo-Christian concept of devotion. They also dive into the competing influences...
6455
22. Kate Hartmann | Buddhism, Pilgrimage, and BSO
In this episode we sit down with Kate to celebrate the launch of Buddhist Studies Online. We learn about her story, her background in academia and Buddhism, travels in Asia, how she first met Seth as grad students at Harvard, building course websites for Harvard professors. We discuss her research on pilgrimage and the importance of place and perception within Tibetan Buddhism. Kate gives us a sneak peak at her upcoming online course, BSO 101 | Intro to Buddhism: History, Philosophy, and Prac...
5457
24. Jvala Singh | The History of Sikhi and Yoga
In this episode we sit down with Sikh scholar and historian Jvala Singh to discuss the history of yoga within Sikhi, the topic of his upcoming Yogic Studies course YS 116 | Sikhism and Yoga. Jvala tells Seth how he met his teacher, his work translating tales of the ten Gurus from the 19th century Sraj Prak, the joys of podcasting, and the publication of Jvala's recent book 54 Punjabi Proverbs (2019, Tattva). They also discuss the legacy of Yogi Bhajan within the Sikh community. Speaker Bi...
4530
21. Philipp Maas | What is Skhya Philosophy?
In this episode we speak with return guest Dr. Philipp Maas about the ancient school of Skhyawhich he describes as India's philosophy par excellence for its wide and enduring influence on Indian culture. Giving us a taste of his upcoming course: YS 204 | The Skhyakrik: Stanzas on All-Embracing Insight, Maas discusses Skhyas relationship with the Yoga of Patajali, and dives into the Krikthe oldest surviving text of the tradition. We discuss what little we know about the wor...
6231
18. Jacqueline Hargreaves | The Luminescent and Embodied Philology
In this episode, we talk with scholar-practitioner Jacqueline Hargreaves about her work with the Hatha Yoga Project, her unlikely background as an engineer that first brought her to India, and her life as a nomadic yoga researcher with her partner Jason Birch. Jacqueline shares some wonderful stories about her work including a rare audience with Mysore's Royal Family and the discovery of a lost manuscript thousands of miles from India in a very unlikely place. We also discuss her upcoming onl...
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19. Theodora Wildcroft | Post-Lineage Yoga: From Guru to #MeToo
In this episode Dr. Theodora Wildcroft discusses her new book, Post-Lineage Yoga: From Guru to #MeToo (2020). We explore the historical shifts that have been reshaping yoga in the west: from the ways schools of yoga have been forced to pivot after the deaths or public denouncements of their charismatic founder-gurus, to the need of modern practitioners to seek out eclectic sources in their education beyond a single voice of authority, and how both recent historical research and social movemen...
6020
17. Stuart Sarbacker | Tracing the Path of Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stuart Ray Sarbacker about his newest book Tracing the Path of Yoga: The History and Philosophy of Indian Mind-Body Discipline (2021, SUNY Press). We explore the origins of yoga, what Stuart calls the numinous and cessative dimensions of yoga, early tantric sources for Hahayoga, as well as unique yoga teachings from the Puras. We discuss the importance of mantra and sacred sound, varying interpretations of Agayoga, and the under-appreciated influences...
Most Recent Episode
17. Stuart Sarbacker | Tracing the Path of Yoga
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stuart Ray Sarbacker about his newest book Tracing the Path of Yoga: The History and Philosophy of Indian Mind-Body Discipline (2021, SUNY Press). We explore the origins of yoga, what Stuart calls the numinous and cessative dimensions of yoga, early tantric sources for Hahayoga, as well as unique yoga teachings from the Puras. We discuss the importance of mantra and sacred sound, varying interpretations of Agayoga, and the under-appreciated influences...
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